Game boards

ABSTRACT

A bingo board having a number board having vertical, spacedapart columns of rectangular depressions in the upper and lower faces thereof, each upper face depression having a fixed inclined bottom plate carrying a game number and a slide member resting on the inclined bottom plate of each depression, the slide members being slidable down the inclined bottom plates to a position below the bottom plate of a next adjacent upper face depression and within the corresponding lower face depression. Each upper face depression communicates with an adjacent lower face depression through an opening which receives the slide member.

United States Patent Moore, Jr. et al.

[54] GAME BOARDS [72] Inventors: James F. Moore, Jr.; Leigh I-l. Norgren,

both of Englewood, C010.

[73] Assignee: Norbro Corp. (Norbro), Englewood,

[22] Filed: Nov. 13, 1969 [21] Appl.No.: 876,448

[52] US. Cl ..273/ 136 F, 40/62 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63f 3/00 [58] Field of Search ..273/135, 136; 40/62; 116/131, 116/135 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,383,112 5/1968 Crozier ..273/l36 [151 3,655,196 [451 Apr. 11, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 226,032 4/1969 Sweden ..273/ l 36 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-R. I-l. Galbreath [57] ABSTRACT A bingo board having a number board having vertical, spaced apart columns of rectangular depressions in the upper and lower faces thereof, each upper face depression having a fixed inclined bottom plate carrying a game number and a slide member resting on the inclined bottom plate of each depression, the slide members being slidable down the inclined bottom plates to a position below the bottom plate of a next adjacent upper face depression and within the corresponding lower face depression. Each upper face depression communicates with an adjacent lower face depression through an opening which receives the slide member.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented April 11, 1972 3,655,196

25 /z n Wm vnn an n ,m. 0% A? l/YVE/YTORS GAME BOARDS This invention relates to a game board of the type known as a bingo board containing separated, vertical columns of spaced-apart numerals which are covered by the players in response to audible or visual, chance-selected numbers called or displayed by a caller" during the playing of the popular game of Bingo," formerly known as Lotto.

Present bingo boards contain slides which are moved horizontally to cover and expose the called numbers. Such boards require the columns of numbers to be spaced apart sufficiently far to provide space to receive the slides when the numbers are uncovered.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a bingo 7 board construction in which the slides for each column will be stored, when their respective numbers are uncovered, beneath the numbers in an adjacent column so as to eliminate the storage space usually necessary between the columns and allow a substantially 50 percent reduction in the width of the board without reducing the size of the numerals thereon.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the followingdescription.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing;

FIG. 1 is a front face view of a preferred form of the improved board with the various layers thereof successively broken away to show the interior construction; and with certain of the same numbers covered to show the use of concealable slide elements to be later described;

FIG. 2 is a bottom edge elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken on the line 33, FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a similarly enlarged, fragmentary, cross section taken on the line 4-4, FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a similarly enlarged, detail, perspective view of a number-covering slide element as employed herein.

The preferred form of the invention comprises a flat, relatively stiff, prefonned number board 10, provided with relatively thin, rectangular, number-covering, slide elements 11,

positioned between a front cover sheet 12 and a backing sheet 13.

The number board is preferably formed of premolded plastic or other suitable molded or stamped material having horizontal rows and vertical columns of similar rectangular depressions l4 indented in its upper face. Similar rectangular depressions are formed in the rear face of the board 10 below the depressions 14. The depressions 14 are horizontally separated by relatively narrow, vertical, side wall partitions 15 depending from the upper face and are vertically separated by horizontal separating strips 16.

Each rectangular depression 14 is closed by means of a relatively thin, inclined, bottom plate 17 and the depressions are indented relatively deeper at one side (indicated at 18) than at the second side (indicated at 19) to accommodate the incline of the bottom plate 17. The bottom plate 17 is of uniform thickness, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and-; integrally joins the shallow side 19 but is spaced from the lower edge of partition 15 at the deeper side 18 so as to provide a side slide passage 20 at the deeper side of the bottom plate, said passage opening into the adjacent rear face depression.

The conventional bingo numerals, such as indicated at 21, are printed upon, or otherwise applied or attached to, the top surfaces of the inclined bottom plates 17 so that a different number will be centered in each of the depressions 14. The slide elements 11, shown in detail in FIG. 5, are slidably positioned upon the bottom plates 17 of the depressions 14 so that they may be freely slid laterally in the latter. The slide elements are longer than the lateral width of the depressions 14 so as to provide a protruding, leading edge 22 which extends into the side slide passage 20 to retain the slide element in place and guide it beneath the bottom plate 17 of the next adjacent depression as shown in FIG. 4. The slide elements are provided with vertically extending finger tabs 23, along their trailing edges, which engage the opposite sides of the depressions 14 to stop the slides in the fully opened and fully closed positions and which provide convenient finger holds.

The front cover sheet 12 isstamped from relatively thin, colored plastic such as polystyrene and corresponds in size and contour to the number board 10. It is provided with a plurality of rectangular windows 24 positioned to register with the depressions in the number board. The windows 24 correspond in horizontal width to the lateral width of the depressions 14. However, they are of less vertical width than the depressions so that they overlap the top and bottom edges of the slide elements 11 to retain the latter in place in their depressions. It will be noted, in FIG. 5, that the finger tabs 23 are set back from the top and bottom edges of the slide elements, as shown at 25, to accommodate the overlapping portions of the cover sheet 12.

The backing sheet 13 may be also stamped from polystyrene sheet plastic or other suitable material to completely cover the back of the number board 10. It will be noted that when a slide element is fully opened, its leading edge 22 will pass beneath the inclined bottom plate 17 of the next adjacent depression and be sandwich between the latter bottom plate and the backing sheet 13, as shown in FIG. 4, where it will be completely covered and securely held in' place until manually moved. The thickness of the main board 10 is preferably such as to allow the slide elements 11 to slightly wedge between the inclined bottom plates 17 and the backing sheet 13 to retain the slide elements in place until they are manually moved.

The game board may be rapidly assembled by cementing or thermally attaching the backing sheet 13 in place and then placing the slide elements in their respective depressions with their leading edges 22 in the side slide passages 20. The front cover sheet 12 is then cemented or thermally attached over the face of the number board and the assembly is permanently completed.

Conventional slide-type bingo boards are designed so that the slides are moved to the right to cover the numbers, and this game board has been so described. It is to be understood, however, that-the direction of movement is not important. The described construction could be used to provide for movement to either side or up and down. It is also possible to eliminate the backing sheet and mold a backing element as an integral part of the number board. The number board 10 could also be used without a cover sheet since the interengagement of the slide elements with the side passages 20 would retain the slide elements in place in the number board. However, the construction detailed herein has been found to be most practical, economical and efficient.

For the purpose of clarity of illustration the thicknesses of the various layers of the game board have been slightly exaggerated on the drawing. In a typical board the respective thicknesses would be substantially as follows: front cover sheet one-thirty second inch, backing sheet one-thirty second inch, number board five-thirty second inch, and total game board seven-thirty seconds inch.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention;

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A game board for use in playing bingo and similar number games comprising: 7

a. a relatively stiff and relatively thick flat number board provided with a plurality of similar, horizontally aligned, uniformly spaced, rectangular depressions unitary formed in its upper and lower faces, said depressions in the upper face being spaced apart to leave vertical undepressed portions which form side wall partions between said upper face depressions, said portions tenninating shot of said lower face;

b. a flat, inclined closed bottom plate of uniform thicknesses below each of said upper face depressions, said bottom plates being integral with said vertical portions and closing the bottoms of said upper face depressions and being inclined so that the upper face depressions are deeper at their one side than at the opposite side, said bottom plate on the deeper side of the depression being spaced from the adjacent vertical portion to define an opening communicating with the adjacent lower face depression;

. a game number on the respective top side of each of said bottom plates;

d. an imperforate backing sheet covering the back face of said number board and positioned beneath all of said bottom plates;

e. a front cover sheet covering the front face of said number board and provided with windows registering with said upper face depressions;

f. a flat number-covering slide element having a forward leading edge and a rear trailing edge slidably positioned on the top of each inclined integral bottom plate with its leading edge being slidably positioned within said opening; and

g. a finger tab formed on the trailing edge of each slide element and projecting upwardly through one of said windows.

2. A game board as described in claim 1 in which:

a. the lateral width of the slide elements exceeds the lateral width of said windows so that the slide elements cannot pass through the windows; and

b. the lateral width of the finger tabs is less than the lateral width of said windows so that the tabs can project upwardly through said windows for slidable actuation of said slide elements. 

1. A game board for use in playing bingo and similar number games comprising: a. a relatively stiff and relatively thick flat number board provided with a plurality of similar, horizontally aligned, uniformly spaced, rectangular depressions unitary formed in its upper and lower faces, said depressions in the upper face being spaced apart to leave vertical undepressed portions which form side wall partions between said upper face depressions, said portions terminating shot of said lower face; b. a flat, inclined closed bottom plate of uniform thicknesses below each of said upper face depressions, said bottom plates being integral with said vertical portions and closing the bottoms of said upper face depressions and being inclined so that the upper face depressions are deeper at their one side than at the opposite side, said bottom plate on the deeper side of the depression being spaced from the adjacent vertical portion to define an opening communicating with the adjacent lower face depression; c. a game number on the respective top side of each of said bottom plates; d. an imperforate backing sheet covering the back face of said number board and positioned beneath all of said bottom plates; e. a front cover sheet covering the front face of said number board and provided with windows registering with said upper face depressions; f. a flat number-covering slide element having a forward leading edge and a rear trailing edge slidably positioned on the top of each inclined integral bottom plate with its leading edge being slidably positioned within said opening; and g. a finger tab formed on the trailing edge of each slide element and projecting upwardly through one of said windows.
 2. A game board as described in claim 1 in which: a. the lateral width of the slide elements exceeds the lateral width of said windows so that the slide elements cannot pass through the windows; and b. the lateral width of the finger tabs is less than the lateral width of said windows so that the tabs can project upwardly through said windows for slidable actuation of said slide elements. 